Connecticut continues to expand the
number of farmers’ market projects
accepting EBT. In 2004, only 5 markets
participated in the project. That number
grew to 18 markets during 2008, with
approximately 105 individual farmers
participating.
Maine
The Lewiston Farmers’ Market continues
to be the only market using scrip in
$2.00 increments and a traditional wired
POS terminal. $1,019 in EBT redemptions
were reported for the 2008 Farmer Market
season.
Massachusetts
16 farmer’s markets were authorized to
participate in the Farmer’s Market Pilot
program for 2008 and 11 of these markets
were new to the program. The Food
Project in metro Boston was responsible
for 7 new markets in the Boston
metropolitan area and 4 new markets were
approved in western Massachusetts.
In the 2008 market season, 789 transactions (61% increase
from 2007) with $6,962.00 in redemptions
(53% increase from 2007) used wireless
POS terminals.
New Hampshire
Due to the lack of funding and
resources, there were no farmers markets
using the SNAP program in 2008.
New York
In 2008, an incentive program to operate
in upstate New York and administered by
the Farmers’ Market Federation of New
York, located in Syracuse, New York, was
approved by FNS through November 20,
2010. This program provides an incentive
to EBT customers to use their benefits
at designated markets. A SNAP purchase
of $5.00 in tokens will be matched with
a coupon value of $5.00 to further
enhance the customer’s purchasing power.
Up to 65 farmers’ markets participated.
Rhode Island
In 2008, Rhode Island had 7 farmer’s
markets using EBT cards and wireless
card machines. This resulted in 131 EBT
transactions with $2,039 in farmer’s
markets sales. The success of the
program is due to Farm Fresh Rhode
Island piloting a “Fresh Buck” program
in 2007. SNAP clients are able to swipe
their EBT card for “Fresh Buck” coins
each worth a dollar of goods apiece.
In addition, Farm Fresh Rhode Island coordinated a SNAP
outreach program with the Feinstein
Center for a Hunger Free America.
Fourteen outreach booths were set up in
farmer’s markets and over 140 people
were educated about the SNAP program. 21
SNAP applications were forwarded to SNAP
offices.
Vermont
Vermont expanded their farmers’ markets
from 3 in 2007 to 10 markets in 2008.
This has resulted in over 400 EBT
transactions with $6,444 in farmers’
markets sales.
Mid-Atlantic Region
District of Columbia
In 2008, 7 farmers’ markets in the
District of Columbia were approved
to use the scrip program. Only one
farmers’ market received funding to
operate the Fresh Check Incentive
Program.”
Maryland
Currently, three farmers’ markets in
Takoma Park are approved by FNS to use
the scrip system. FNS also approved the
Fresh Check incentive program under a
demonstration authority through November
2009. Under the Fresh Check incentive
program, SNAP clients will receive an
additional fruit and vegetable benefit
(token) for a certain level of EBT
benefits spent.
New Jersey
In 2008, the state started a Pilot
Program that will provide up to 25
wireless Point of Sale machines to
farmers who attend farmers’ markets in
various locations throughout the state.
Farmers who are interested in the
program must submit an application to be
accepted into the program. Currently 3
of the 25 wireless Point of Sale
machines have been distributed to
approved farmers. The state is
anticipating the remaining machines will
be disturbed this year.
Pennsylvania
The Food Trust, located in Philadelphia
operates 30 farmers’ markets in the
Philadelphia area, many of which are in
neighborhoods underserved by
supermarkets, grocery stores and other
fresh food outlets. All of the farmers’
markets accept EBT cards.
Southeast Region
Georgia
In 2008, the Georgia EBT office worked
with local, state, and federal agencies
to plan, implement, and market the EBT
Farmers’ Market Pilot Demonstration. The
purpose of the pilot was to perform a
proof of concept for the token system
within the state. It was also to
identify any problems or issues that
would need to be addressed before
rolling out statewide. Two markets
opened for EBT acceptance during the
2008 growing season. One market was not
able to accept EBT due to technical
problems, while one new market operated
with a limited number of participating
vendors and limited overall customer
interest.
South Carolina
Currently, eight Farmers’ Markets are
approved by FNS in South Carolina.
Southwest Region
New Mexico
New Mexico has added a fourth Farmers’
Market to accept SNAP benefits in 2008.
Some markets are using integrated
wireless POS terminals that can process
both SNAP and cash debit transactions
while other markets continue to use
wooden tokens for SNAP and debit
transactions.
Texas
The State of Texas is conducting several
pilot programs to evaluate different
methods of enabling Lone Star card use
in different types of markets. The
project has successfully grown to
include several multi-stall farmers
markets and many individual produce
stands statewide.
Midwest Region
Illinois
Going from one farmers’ market in 2007
to five in 2008, Illinois saw a
substantial increase in SNAP EBT
redemptions at farmers’ markets in the
past year. Of particular note, the 61st
Street Farmers’ Market in Chicago had
over $1,000 in SNAP benefit redemptions
in its first year in the Program.
Another market new to the program was
the Old Town Market in Belleville, which
used a wireless Point of Sale device and
had over $400 in SNAP redemptions for
the year. Other new markets in the State
opened in Galesburg and in the Englewood
area of Chicago. The Chicago based Logan
Square Market operated for its second
year.
Indiana
The City of Bloomington Community
Farmers Market remained the only Indiana
farmers’ market operating under the
demonstration project. In its second
year, the market had over $2,100 in
redemptions during its 8 months of
operation.
Michigan
The State has a vibrant Farmers Market
community that has several organizations
providing information, training and
general support. The Michigan Farmers
Market Food Assistance Partnership is an
organization specifically created to
increase Farmers’ Markets participation
in SNAP. Under the group’s leadership,
the number of farmers’ markets
participating in SNAP has increased from
2 markets in 2006 to 16 in 2008. The
four new markets which operated in 2008
were located in Bay City, Lapeer,
Lansing, and Kalamazoo. Of the 16
markets, 1 market accounts for
approximately 2/3 of the State’s
farmers’ market pilot SNAP redemptions.
The Eastern Market in Detroit had
$58,950 in SNAP redemptions in 2008.
This was more than a six-fold increase
over redemptions in 2007. Other farmers’
markets in Michigan with over $1,000 in
SNAP redemptions were the Ypsilanti
Downtown Market, the Saginaw Downtown
Market, the Lapeer Market, the Lansing
City Market, The Kalamazoo Market, the
Allen Street Market in Lansing, the
WEMAC-South East Area Market in Grand
Rapids and the Sweetwater Market in
Muskegon.
Minnesota
The Midtown Farmers Market in
Minneapolis remained the only Minnesota
farmers’ market that operated under the
pilot program. Its annual SNAP customer
redemptions more than tripled from its
previous year total, to over $1,300 in
2008.
Ohio
There was substantial growth in Ohio
farmers’ market participation in the
SNAP pilot program. Seven markets
participated in 2008 compared to only
three markets in 2007. The Athens
Farmers Market had the largest SNAP
redemptions in the State, with over
$8,600 in 2008. New markets operated in
East Cleveland, Columbus (2), and
Cambridge.
Wisconsin
Going from one market in 2007 to four
markets in 2008, the SNAP farmers’
market pilot seems to be catching on in
a State famous for its farmers markets.
The Fondy market in Milwaukee returned
to the program and had over $6,000 in
SNAP redemptions. The large Dane County
Farmers Market in Madison joined the
program and had over $5,000 in
redemptions. Redemptions State-wide
under the pilot increased from about
$1,000 in 2007 to almost $13,000 in
2008.
Mountain Plains Region
Iowa
Over 100 farmers’ markets accepted SNAP
benefits in Iowa. To view a complete
list of participating farmers’ markets
click here.
Kansas
For the 2009 fiscal year, the Kansas
Department of Social and Rehabilitation
Services (SRS) approved using SNAP bonus
money to expand the use of wireless EBT
in 4-5 more Farmers’ Markets. They are
partnering with the Kansas Rural Center,
KSU Extension, and the manager of the
Lawrence Farmers’ Market. They are in
the beginning stages of the expansion
project. Currently they are identifying
potential Farmers’ Markets who have
expressed an interest, have satisfactory
Verizon signal coverage, are willing to
educate vendors and comply with federal
regulation, and have the ability to
sustain the program in the future.
Selection of markets should be completed
by early Spring of 2009.
Missouri
Approximately 40 farmer’s markets
accepted SNAP benefits in Missouri. To
view a complete list of participating
farmers click here.
Montana
The Montana Farmers Market EBT Project
is a pilot project funded by the Montana
Department of Health and Human Services
and administered by the National Center
for Appropriate Technology. 2009 marks
the 3rd and final year of this pilot
project to establish machines that
accept EBT, or Montana Access SNAP,
cards. Five farmers’ markets are
participating in the pilot project; four
of these are in more “urban settings”
and one in a rural location. All of
these markets, with the exception of
one, are using a wireless device that
accepts EBT, Debit, and Credit cards.
The exception is using a wired machine
that only accepts EBT, or SNAP, cards.
All pilots are also using a token
system. In 2009 the project will focus
more on outreach efforts to families and
individuals with SNAP benefits. The
State will also work to encourage
farmers’ markets that are not
participating in the pilot, and are
already accepting WIC and Senior Farmers
Market Nutrition Program coupons, to
become authorized to accept EBT cards as
well. For more information on the
project contact Tammy Hinman at
406-494-8683 or
tammyh@ncat.org
Western Region
Arizona
12 out of Arizona’s 53 farmers’ markets
are currently authorized to accept SNAP
benefits. Seven wireless terminals are
operating at 12 of these markets. The
remaining markets are not able to except
SNAP. The Arizona Food and Agricultural
Policy Coalition conducts outreach with
farmers’ markets and has found that the
most significant barrier is the high
cost of initial purchase and/or
replacing wireless processing terminals
due to equipment failure or software
upgrades. Several of Arizona’s wireless
terminals became obsolete since their
markets began accepting EBT. However,
due to the awareness of the program,
Arizona has seen an increase of sales
throughout the state.
California
There are 52 farmers’ markets in
California that are authorized to accept
SNAP benefits. These 52 markets have 118
locations throughout the State. 39 of
the State’s markets currently use a
wireless device (29 of which use scrip)
and the remaining 13 markets utilize a
wired device and scrip. Several welfare,
hunger and health advocates have become
involved in conducting outreach to
farmers and markets in their
communities, given their interest in
assisting low-income families with
greater access to fruits and vegetables.
One such organization, the Berkeley
Ecology Center, has been a valuable
resource and often works with the State
Agency to provide start-up information
to new markets. When feasible, the State
Agency contacts market managers directly
to discuss bringing EBT into their
markets. In 2008, the New farmer’s
market in San Diego was approved for a
demonstration project, called the Fresh
Fund, which gives EBT recipients
dollar-for-dollar matching up to $10 to
purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Hawaii
There are three farmers’ markets in
Hawaii that are presently authorized to
accept SNAP benefits—the Hilo Farmers’
Market on the island of Hawaii and the
People’s Open Market and the Waianae
Farmers’ Market on the island of Oahu.
Both the Hilo Farmers’ Market and the
Waianae Farmers’ Market are
demonstration projects that utilize the
scrip system. At the People’s Open
Market, each vendor is certified by FNS
to accept SNAP and the majority of
authorized vendors use a manual voucher
system. Hawaii has experienced
challenges with bringing additional
markets on board, including issues
related to long-term sustainability,
keeping up with evolving technology and
funding for wireless EBT devices.
Idaho
The Moscow Farmers Market in Moscow,
Idaho is accepting SNAP and EBT cash at
its weekly Farmers Market in Downtown,
Moscow Idaho. Backyard Harvest and Rural
Roots along with the Moscow Farmers
Market are planning on accepting SNAP
benefits at its Tuesday Midweek Growers
Market in cooperation with the Moscow
Food Co-OP in Moscow, Idaho. The two
markets will serve the University of
Idaho at Moscow and Washington State
University's campus at Pullman,WA with
directly marketed staple foods from Area
Farmers and producers. They offer
locally raised foods and processed
grains along with locally marketed
cooked foods, breads, seeds and planting
starts.
The Grangeville Farmers Market in Grangeville has
applied for a USDA Farmers Market
Promotion Grant and will be using it to advertise and
provide twice weekly access to
customers for Direct Marketing of locally grown foods
and produce.
The Moscow Farmers Market along with the University of Idaho
Agriculture Extension
Service and the Idaho Department of Agriculture sponsored a
seminar for North Idaho
and Eastern Washington growers in late February on how to
establish a local Farmers’
Market and how to become licensed to sell prepared foods and
accept SNAP benefits at
the Market.
Oregon
Oregon expects to have 24 Farmers’
Markets accepting SNAP benefits for the
2009 seasons. Twenty-three Farmers’
Markets will use wooden tokens and a
central POS terminal. One Farmers’
Markets will use a central POS terminal
without wooden tokens. Twenty-one
Farmers’ Markets will utilize a wireless
POS terminal.
Washington
There are currently 27 farmers' markets
in Washington State authorized to accept
SNAP. Three markets use wireless POS
technology and two process their
transactions using a third-party
processor. The remaining 22 markets are
EBT-only. Regardless of how they process
EBT transactions, all of the markets use
some type of "scrip" system, whether it
be wooden tokens or paper coupons. The
State Agency has provided markets with
technical and certification assistance
and also negotiated with their
contractor to provide interested
farmers’ markets the opportunity to
lease a wireless POS devices at the
State’s expense.
In 2008, the State legislature passed a
bill to assist farmers and farmers’
markets obtain wireless POS technology
capable of processing both EBT and
commercial credit/debit transactions.
The EBT program will provide funds to
the Washington State Farmers’ Market
Association (WSFMA) to purchase wireless
POS devices. The devises will be
distributed in an equitable manner
between urban and rural markets
throughout the State. Farmer’s markets
interested in receiving a wireless
